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Candidates/Brothers degrees

Castro81

Registered User
Hello my fellow brothers, i greet you all well.

Ive been a brother since 2011. I will admit that the last 2-3 years i havent attended lodge regularly. And maybe that’s because ive felt... disenfranchised. I feel that my lodge is more about Quantity over Quality..My question to the brothers here is this...When candidates or brothers are being put through the degrees, does your lodge have them go through the catechism individually or as a class? For instance, when it comes time to recite their obligation. Do the brothers recite the oblogation one by one or do they say it together, breaking up the obligation between them?
 

Castro81

Registered User
I totally agree. It feels that my lodge already has the masonic year planned out with the degrees. And its like no matter what the candidates/brothers will move forward whether they are proficient or not
 

Castro81

Registered User
I dont want to be that brother, but i feel like this has to stop. I mean would i be in the wrong if i voted to not initiate/pass/raise a candidate/brother becuase, they either didnt say the obligation or broke it up amongst the other?
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
I dont want to be that brother, but i feel like this has to stop. I mean would i be in the wrong if i voted to not initiate/pass/raise a candidate/brother becuase, they either didnt say the obligation or broke it up amongst the other?
I think it would be better if you discussed your concerns with the WM prior to the situation arising. There may be other Brethren in your Lodge who agree with you.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I dont want to be that brother, but i feel like this has to stop. I mean would i be in the wrong if i voted to not initiate/pass/raise a candidate/brother becuase, they either didnt say the obligation or broke it up amongst the other?
Could I clarify? Are they not saying the obligation during the degree?
Or are you referring to demonstrating proficiency?
 

CLewey44

Registered User
I dont want to be that brother, but i feel like this has to stop. I mean would i be in the wrong if i voted to not initiate/pass/raise a candidate/brother becuase, they either didnt say the obligation or broke it up amongst the other?
I'm unclear on your stance actually. The obligation is taken individually during the degree and the time I've seen brothers give it in tandem, they both had to do the ob portion on their own as to not "screw-over" the other one. Yes, you should be voting nay on someone if they don't demonstrate proficiency or for whatever reason you feel they shouldn't progress in Masonry.
 

Castro81

Registered User
There have been instances where the brothers are either breaking up the obligation between them as they are being tested or one brother will do the whole obligation for the class during the degree.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
There have been instances where the brothers are either breaking up the obligation between them as they are being tested or one brother will do the whole obligation for the class during the degree.
May I ask the Grand Lodge?
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
There have been instances where one brother will do the whole obligation for the class during the degree.
That never happens under GLoTX because we confer degrees on only one candidate at a time. Some of our Lodges will occasionally allow 2 or more brothers to take their proficiency exams together, splitting up the work between them, but it is not the norm here.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
There have been instances where the brothers are either breaking up the obligation between them as they are being tested or one brother will do the whole obligation for the class during the degree.

That's not allowed in any jurisdiction I've experienced degrees or proficiencies in, so a longer list than where I've ever been a member.

Run this up the chain of command. It's definitely wrong. Either it's being taught and done wrong or somehow wrong ritual was voted in.
 

Castro81

Registered User
Its difficult to run it up the “chain of command” when this has been an ongoing thing for many years. It almost feels that it would fall on deaf ears. A good majority of the brothers, i feel are happy, comfortable with the way things are. I guess what i was looking for, and still am, is a lodge that cares about esoteric and decorum. It feels like Masonry has become very lax, at least in my lodge.
 

Castro81

Registered User
Another question i had was, when visitors arrive, are they allowed to enter the lodge room? And im not talking about during stated meetings, i mean before the worshpful calls to begin the meeting. Ive been to a lodge in South America, Colombia to be exact, and if you weren’t a brother you were not allowed to enter.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
Another question i had was, when visitors arrive, are they allowed to enter the lodge room? And im not talking about during stated meetings, i mean before the worshpful calls to begin the meeting. Ive been to a lodge in South America, Colombia to be exact, and if you weren’t a brother you were not allowed to enter.
I don't think you should be allowed but here it's typically ok. We tend to rent our facilities out or at the very least try to come off as welcoming to anyone, just come right in and we'll show you everything type of deal.
 
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